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Got trash questions? You get answers

By Suzanne Michaels / For the Sun-News

Posted:
04/09/2013 10:29:30 AM MDT

If you want to improve the appearance of your community, protect the water supply, talk about re-cycling, or find out about trash collection plans for your part of the county, this is your chance to share ideas and get answers to your questions!

County Commissioner Billy Garrett explains, "The county recently conducted surveys that show trash collection is among the top five concerns in a number of our communities. We need to hear more from residents, including those who live in Las Cruces. We strongly encourage residents and businesses being served by the South Central Solid Waste Authority (SCSWA) to learn more about our trash collection system and to share their concerns or ideas with us at the upcoming community meetings."

The meetings will be fully bilingual and being held in Hatch, Anthony, Chaparral and Las Cruces. (The Radium Springs meeting took place last night.) All meetings are 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

Hatch

Wednesday, April 10

Hatch Community Center

837 West Hall St.

Las Cruces

Tuesday, April 16

Doña Ana County Government Center

845 North Motel Blvd.

Chaparral

Wednesday, April 17

Betty McKnight Community Center,

190 County Line Drive

Anthony

Thursday, April 18

South Valley Community Center

875 Anthony Drive

In these meetings, we want to hold a conversation with the residents and businesses we serve, to better understand your needs and interests and help you understand how trash collection and the solid waste management system function within Doña Ana County.

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We also hope to get input on proposed changes to the system in terms of financing and operations, and to let you know about available programs on recycling and prevention of illegal dumping, so you can take full advantage of those programs.

The basics: Solid waste consists of almost everything you throw away from your home: paper and paperboard, food waste, yard waste, plastics, glass, metals, food, rubber, leather, wood, textiles and other items. There are also specialized types of waste such as medical waste or construction waste that are only accepted at special facilities.

When not properly disposed of, solid waste can create pollution and become a serious health hazard, especially in a dry state like New Mexico, which depends on ground water.

Proposed landfill changes: The SCSWA is seeking permission to maximize the space at Corralitos Regional Landfill, 15 miles west of Las Cruces, to prevent the need for another landfill over the next 100 years. The proposed changes would make Corralitos more efficient and raise the height of the landfill by about 60 feet to accommodate more waste.

Other changes would allow the landfill to accept special types of waste that are not hazardous when handled properly, such as petroleum contaminated soil, grit from sump pumps at car washes, and some animal waste from packing facilities and NMSU research programs. It's better to dispose of this type of waste at a lined landfill such as Corralitos, to prevent adverse environmental impacts.

Proposed transfer station changes: We want to take a regional approach to consolidate collection centers into regional transfer stations, equipped to handle materials more efficiently in the three areas of the County we serve: north, central, and south.

Please come. The informal meetings will feature information stations so residents can talk directly to experts and ask questions. English/Spanish interpreters will be right there to help with questions and comments and we'll serve small sandwiches, soda and water.

For more information, please contact the South Central Solid Waste Authority (SCSWA) at 575-528-3800, or visit www.TheScrappyPages.com.